Pujol Case-Linked Man Gets 5 Months Suspended Sentence for Child Support Non-Payment in Andorra

A man linked to the 'Pujol case' has been sentenced by Andorra's Tribunal de Corts to five months' suspended prison time for failing to pay child support to his ex-wife.

The businessman, who lived in the Principat for several years, faced charges unrelated to the high-profile Pujol proceedings. The dispute centred on his non-payment of a court-ordered maintenance allowance of €450 per month for their shared daughter. The sentence, handed down today, includes a two-year suspension period and requires him to cover court costs. No civil liability was imposed, as the parties reached an out-of-court settlement.

During the trial, the defendant argued that a sharp decline in his finances—stemming from multiple lawsuits in Spain and Andorra, including some filed by another prominent local businessman—prevented him from meeting the obligation. He noted that his economic situation had since improved. Initially, in 2017, he had custody of the child and received payments from his ex-wife without issue. The roles reversed later, but he failed to make payments from the outset.

His ex-wife countered that his financial hardship claims were fabricated to evade responsibility. She highlighted his repeated disregard for judicial orders and maintained a consistently high standard of living that belied his assertions. To gain custody herself, she worked three jobs simultaneously and always fulfilled her own payments, she said, adding that he "never" reciprocated. The non-payment also caused emotional harm to their daughter, she testified.

Prosecutors sought a six-month prison term, while the defence pushed for acquittal, portraying the accused as a responsible father unfairly tarnished.